Have you been asked to do a Reticulocyte Count Test? Let's talk about this simply (Reticulocyte Count Test)

Perhaps you have been feeling tired, lethargic , or have a headache for a few days, and your doctor has ordered a blood test . You may have been a little worried when you saw the name "Reticulocyte Count" on the report. "What kind of strange test is this?" You may have thought to yourself. This is a very simple blood test that is often performed, but it provides very important information. Today, we will talk about this clearly and simply.

First, let's see what this 'reticulocyte' is.

You know that our blood contains many types of cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells , and platelets. The most abundant of these are red blood cells . Like a truck service that delivers goods to the cities throughout our bodies, these red blood cells pick up oxygen from the lungs and distribute it to all the other parts of the body. Our blood looks red because of the iron- containing protein hemoglobin that helps in this task.

But a single red blood cell can only live for about 4 months. So, we need to keep making new cells to replace these old ones. The factory that makes these new cells is the sponge-like part inside our bones, called the bone marrow .

Simply put, we call reticulocytes the "baby" red blood cells that are newly produced by the factory called bone marrow and released into the blood, and that are not yet fully mature.

These baby cells are slightly larger than normal red blood cells. Within a day or two, they fully mature and take over the job of carrying oxygen. In a healthy person, reticulocytes should make up between 0.5% and 2.5% of the total number of red blood cells in the blood.

So what exactly does this test do?

If a doctor wants to know if your bone marrow factory is working properly and producing the necessary amount of red blood cells, he will order this Reticulocyte Count test.

This is a very simple test. A blood sample is taken from a vein in your arm. In the past, these cells were counted manually using a microscope. But now automated machines do this counting very accurately. So this is just a routine blood test that won't cause you any special problems.

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In what situations would a doctor recommend this test?

The main and most common reason for this test is when there is a suspicion of a condition called anemia . Anemia is when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Then you may experience symptoms such as persistent fatigue, a feeling of weakness, shortness of breath even when walking for a short distance, frequent headaches, and sometimes chest pain .

If you suspect you have anemia from a complete blood count (FBC), which is usually the first test done, the most important test to find out exactly what type it is is the Reticulocyte Count.

There are several types of anemia. The results of this test will give the doctor a good idea of ​​the type.

Are there other causes besides anemia?

Yes, this test is very useful in several other situations.

Sickle Cell Disease

This is a genetic disease. The red blood cells that form here take on a sickle shape instead of their normal round shape. This causes them to be destroyed quickly and can become stuck in small blood vessels , blocking blood flow . An elevated reticulocyte count in these patients may indicate a sickle cell crisis, where red blood cells are destroyed excessively.

See response to treatment

• When receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer.
• After a bone marrow transplant .

These types of treatments can damage the bone marrow. So after treatment, this Reticulocyte Count can be used to check whether the bone marrow has recovered and started making new cells. A gradual increase in the number is a sign of good recovery.